Methods and systems are provided for preventing interference from simultaneous data transmissions in a remote control system. A controlled terminal is typically configured to receive control data from a controlling terminal and to transmit feedback data to a monitoring terminal. To prevent interference caused by the simultaneous transmissions of control data and feedback data. The controlling terminal can transmit the control data to the monitoring terminal, which then transmits the control data to the controlled terminal. Such transmission of the control data may be carried out in a way that does not interfere with the transmission of the feedback data.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A monitoring terminal, said monitoring terminal comprising: a first communication module capable of two-way communication with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via a first communication link between the first communication module and the UAV at a first frequency band; and a second communication module configured to receive control data from a controlling terminal via a second communication link that does not interfere with the first communication link, the control data being generated at the controlling terminal, wherein the control data is conveyed via the first communication link to the UAV, thereby controlling operation of the UAV using the control data, and wherein the monitoring terminal is located remotely from the UAV.
2. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the control data is operable for controlling flight of the UAV.
3. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controlling terminal is capable of transmitting the control data to the UAV via a third communication link, thereby controlling activity of the UAV.
4. The monitoring terminal of claim 3 , wherein the controlling terminal is not capable of receiving data from the UAV.
5. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication via the first communication link occurs through a time division multiplexing (TDM) scheme.
6. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication via the first communication link occurs through a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) scheme.
7. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first communication module is configured to receive feedback data from the UAV.
8. The monitoring terminal of claim 7 , wherein the feedback data includes sensor data.
9. The monitoring terminal of claim 7 , wherein the feedback data is indicative of an operational state of the UAV.
10. The monitoring terminal of claim 7 , further comprising a display configured to show the feedback data received from the UAV via the first communication link.
11. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the second communication link is a wired communication link.
12. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the second communication link is a wireless communication link using a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band.
13. The monitoring terminal of claim 1 , wherein the second communication module includes a trainer interface configured to receive the control data from a trainer interface of the controlling terminal.
14. A system for controlling a UAV, said system comprising: the monitoring terminal of claim 1 ; the UAV, wherein the UAV is configured to send feedback data to the first communication module via the first communication link; and the controlling terminal, wherein the controlling terminal comprises a processor that causes the control data to be transmitted via the second communication link, while preventing the control data to be transmitted directly to the UAV via a third communication link.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controlling terminal includes a user interface capable of receiving a user input that aids in the generation of the control data.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the user interface is capable of displaying the feedback data received from the UAV.
17. A method for communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising: receiving, by a monitoring terminal that is located remotely from the UAV, feedback data from the UAV, feedback data via a first communication link; receiving, by the monitoring terminal, control data from a controlling terminal via a second communication link that does not interfere with the first communication link, the control data being generated at the controlling terminal; and sending, by the monitoring terminal, the control data to the UAV via the first communication link, thereby controlling operation of the UAV using the control data.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the feedback data is received via the first communication link at a first frequency band and the control data is sent to the UAV at the first frequency band.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the control data is received, from the controlling terminal, at a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the control data is received, from the controlling terminal, using a wired communication link.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control data is received, from the controlling terminal, via a trainer interface.
22. A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), said method comprising: receiving, at the UAV, control data from a controlling terminal via a first communication link at a first frequency band, thereby controlling activity of the UAV using the control data generated at the controlling terminal; transmitting, from the UAV, feedback data to a monitoring terminal via a second communication link at the first frequency band; determining, with aid of a processor, when the receiving and transmitting are simultaneously occurring at the same first frequency band; and effecting termination of the first communication link when the receiving and transmitting are simultaneously occurring at the same first frequency band, and causing the control data from the controlling terminal to be transmitted to the monitoring terminal via a third communication link that does not interfere with the first communication link or the second communication link.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the third communication link is a wired communication link.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the third communication link is a wireless communication link using a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band.
25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the third communication link utilizes a trainer interface.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining when the receiving and transmitting are simultaneously occurring at the same first frequency band is based on one or more communication environment characteristics.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein effecting the termination of the first communication link includes stopping operation of a communication module associated with the controlling terminal, the communication module operable for transmitting control data to the UAV.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein effecting the termination of the first communication link includes stopping operation of a communication module associated with the UAV, the communication module operable for receiving control data from the controlling terminal.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 23, 2014
December 30, 2014
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